Moving Across the Country

[jovialdaily]

So I graduate in the fall/winter with my mechanical engineering degree and I was originally planning to do grad school directly following, but I've been thinking a lot about it and I don't really want to. My roommate (and best friend) and I have decided to move to vegas instead. He's been there a million times and the weather's gorgeous. I figure I can get a job as an hvac engineer out there (and they make Bank!) and just do something fun and new...get the heck out of Baltimore.

Has anyone else ever moved across the country or just got up and left one day? Any thoughts on how & where to find housing? I figured we'd go down there after finals in the fall and look at some rentals, put down a deposit and sign the paperwork so we'd have somewhere worked out before we get there, rather than being temporarily homeless out there.

Any help or input would be AWESOME! Don't tell me it's dangerous out there by the way, because I currently live in our country's murder capital

 

[Stampyhead]

The weather's nice this time of year, but in a few months the heat will get intense. Las Vegas is a horrible place to be in the summertime, in my opinion, but there are lots of people who live there so obviously not everyone agrees with me.
I've done what you are planning several times, and while it is definitely an adventure it can also be stressful. Look for housing on Craigslist or in local papers. LV is a growing city so I imagine there will be lots of choices for apartments. You will also want to take care of the job search before you move there as well, as you don't want to be unemployed for any amount of time while you are living and paying rent there. You might want to see if you can set up a few interviews within a several day period and then fly out there for a few days to take care of the job thing. Make sure the companies you interview with know you're moving out there of your own accord and that you don't expect them to pay your moving expenses.
I'm not in any way trying to discourage you from doing this, but all I ask is that you think long and hard about skipping grad school and make sure you're absolutely ok with the idea before you do it. I say this only because I was in the same situation when I got my bachelor's. I applied to grad school and even got accepted, but I was sick of school at the time and it seemed like too much money, so I didn't go. Now I severely regret not going and will always wish that I had thought a little bit more ahead and not concentrated so much on what I wanted at the moment. Not everyone will feel this way, obviously, but just make sure you're ok whatever decision you make not just today, but tomorrow and the next day and 10 and 20 years from now.
Otherwise, go and enjoy! This is really the only time in your life you'll be able to just pick up and move to an entirely new place on a whim. You're young, single, and have nothing tying you down. Here's hoping it's all the adventure you expect it to be.
Let me know if you have any other questions. I've done this way more times than I care to mention.
P.S. I might be picking up and moving to London later this year, I haven't decided yet.

 

[GoCubsGo]

First, I'm not a fan of people ever saying you can't ever go back to school. I did and I went full force from a BA to a MBA. I have stopped for now, I simply felt like I needed the break after the BA but pressed on. The only thing I can say is that after going back I was no longer at liberty to just be a college student. I had to be a full time employee and a full time college student. I haven't any regrets though as I worked real hard and I feel very accomplished.

On that note, people can and do live in Vegas. The heat is very dry and you'll find that you adjust to it in time. Most places you go will have A/C but if you're working outside you want to really ensure you drink a lot of fluids (not beer my friend). The recommendations to find housing and jobs prior to your move is key. You will find that most employers can suffice with a phone interview but when the process gets well under way you may need to fly out there. That is where it gets tricky due to cash flow. I only know this because I've considered moving to NC and Ill quite a few times and each phone interview led to a plane flight. When it wasn't possible we did manage to work out teleconferencing, but it wasn't their top choice. Just be prepared to fly back and forth.

My opinion however is that if your friend says Vegas rocks you need to verify that for yourself. You also may not want to move in the dead of summer. Like me wanting to move east the same recommendation was made to me, don't move in the middle of the worst season (winter). You want to ease into the Vegas weather.

Another piece of advice is sell what you can easily buy again. For example, if your couch is getting older and you can pick another up for a few hundred then do that. The cost of moving is often done by weight if you hire movers. If you don't then I guess don't worry about it.

 

[jovialdaily]

Well, as for the job thing, I'm an ashrae member and I helped start a chapter at my college...fyi this looks AMAZING on my already beefy resume. Most of the engineering jobs in Vegas are hvac, from what I've seen, so being in the MD society will definitely help me network a job a lot quicker in Vegas. In fact, I'm already going to start talking to the chapter heads in my area, to see if they can recommend who to get in touch with in the fall after graduation.

I definitely want a job (using my degree) lined up before I fly out there permanently, as well as an apartment or condo set up. I'm really thinking this through and dead heat of the summer is why I'm moving in December (before snow and after the heat). Most everything I have I can pick up another one pretty easy with craigslist, so I'm selling everything buy my computers and some clothes basically.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Has anyone else ever moved across the country or just got up and left one day?

Yep, my wife and I (and kids) moved from Florida to Colorado in the summer of 2005. We had visited since the area several times and just did the move. We moved with no job, no friends, and no family in the area. It was kind of stressful, especially since I was a native Floridian and had never lived in another state. But we love it here and wouldn't dream of going back. You have the advantage of being young and single, so I say go for it.